Improved spring-caster



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.A

E. J. HALL, OF HIGHGATE, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND C.i P. STIMETS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVED SPRING-CASTER.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,463, dated February 18, 1862.

.To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, E. J. HALL, of Highgate, in the county of Franklin and State of Vermont, have linvented a new and Improved Spring-Caster; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, makinga part of this speciicatiom'in which- Figure l is an elevation of my invention applied to a leg of a piece of furniture; Fig. 2, a vertical section of the same, taken in the line fr Fig. l; Fig. 3, a horizontal section of the same, taken in the line y y, Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a horizontal section of the same, taken in the line z e'.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several iigures.

The object of this invention is to combine a spiral spring or springs with an ordinary roller-caster in such a manner that an elastic or yielding support will be given the article of furniture to which the caster is applied, and the latter at the same time be allowed to perform properly its usual function precisely the same as if the spring or springs were not applied to it.

The invention consists in placing on the arbor of the caster a spiral spring or springs, the upper ends of which are attached to a plate which rests on a shoulder on the arbor, and having the lower ends of the spring or springs attached to a plate which is permanently secured to the bottom of the leg of the piece of furniture, as hereinafter fully shown and described, whereby the advantage of the spring or springs is obtained and the arbor at the same time allowed to turn freely in the leg, as usual.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the roller, and B the arbor, of an ordinary roller-caster. The arbor B is smaller in diameter at its upper than at its lower part, and that leaves a shoulder a on the arbor, which serves as a bearing or support for a plate b, which is fitted loosely on the arbor.

To the plate Z) there are attached the upper ends of two spiral springs O C, which are wound together so as to form alternate convolutions around the arbor B. The lower ends of the springs C O are attached to aplate D, through the center of which the arbor D passes loosely. The arbor B, with the springs C C, is fitted in the leg of the piece of furniture to which the caster is applied, each leg, of course being provided with a caster, and the plate D is screwed to the bottom of the leg. (See Fig. 1, in which the leg is shown in red.) The cavity or hole in the leg is made suflicientlynlarge to admit of the springs C fitting loosely in it, and as the plate D is attached to the bottom of the leg, it will be seen that the piece of furniture is directly attached to the springs O, and consequently will be allowed to give or yield, and it will also be seen that as the upper plate b is iitted loosely on the shoulder or bearing a the arbor B of the roller will be allowed to turn freely in the leg, equally so as by the original mode of application, in which no springs are used.`

In consequence of having the springs C C suspended from the plate b the springs are distended under the weight of the article to which the casters are applied instead of being compressed by it, and a greater degree of elasticity is obtained than if the springs were compressed by the weight.

I am aware that spiral springs have been previously applied to casters, and also to the roller-caster and in such a manner as to be suspended, as herein shown and described; but in the arrangement as previously devised the springs, instead of being attached to a plate b, through which the arbor B of the roller passes loosely, are attached to a nut which is fitted on a screw on the arbor B, and that arrangement precludes the turning of the arbor without affecting the tension of the springs O O. This is a result which limits the application of the caster to heavy furniture--such as pianos and the like-which do not require frequent moving.

By the within-described invention it will be seen that the arbor B is perfectly free to rotate without affecting the tension of the springs in the least, and all the advantages of the previous arrangement are obtained Without the disadvantage alluded to, and the invention is therefore rendered applicable to both heavy and light articles, those which require frequent moving as Well as those which are only occasionally required to be moved.

This invention also obviates the necessity ofguide-rods, which form an essential feature in the previously-invented-device."A A a a I do not claim, broadly, the application of spiral springs to a caster, nor do I claim the v applying ofthe springs in such a manner that they will be suspended on the arbor B of the roller A 3 but l I do claim as 'new and desire to secure by Letters Patent-r The combination of a roller-"oaster'with a spiral spring or springs C when the latter are suspended to a plate b, resting or bearing loosely on a shoulder or bearing a, on the arbor B, to admit of the free rotation of the arbor without affecting the tension of the springs, as

herein set forth.

E. J. HALL. Witnesses:

OoTAvIUs KNIGHT, R, N. EAGLE. 

